Christ Cathedral Concerts 2016 - 2017 Season

CHRIST CATHEDRAL CONCERTS

Christ Cathedral Concerts’ mission is to present affordable performances on the Christ Cathedral Campus featuring world-class musicians and the finest repertoire of sacred and classical music for the cultural enrichment, education and enjoyment of Orange County, the entire Southern California region and visitors from around the world.

Christ Cathedral Concerts is made possible by a generous gift from Drs. Thomas and Cynthia Coad. and Christopher T. Coad, MD FACS and Kevin T. Kowalski.Their support begins our journey forward to build a Center of Music and Culture at Christ Cathedral.

PETER RICHARD CONTE,Concert Organist

MondayOct 10, 20167:30 PM

Peter Richard Conte is celebrating his 25th year as Wanamaker Grand Court Organist. He is only the fourth person to hold that title since the organ first played in 1911. He performs concerts twice daily, six days each week, on the largest fully-functioning musical instrument in the world. Mr. Conte is also Principal Organist of Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA, and, since 1991, has served as Choirmaster and Organist of Saint Clement’s Church, Philadelphia.

Mr. Conte is highly regarded as a skillful performer and arranger of organ transcriptions. He has been featured several times on National Public Radio and on ABC television's "Good Morning America" and “World News Tonight.” He has two radio shows: “The Wanamaker Organ Hour”, which airs on the first Sunday of each month, at 5 PM (Eastern), and can be heard via the internet at WRTI.ORG; on each Wednesday evening at 7 PM, his Grand Court concert is streamed live on YesterdayUSA.com. Mr. Conte performs extensively throughout the United States and Canada under the management of Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, and has appeared as a featured artist at American Guild of Organists’ National and Regional Conventions. He has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philly Pops, and with numerous orchestras around the country.

The Ave Maria, Pater Noster, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis between them explore the full emotional gamut of the Christian experience. These four core texts of Christianity take us from birth to death, celebrate God as both father and infant, Mary as virgin and mother. There is joyful anticipation here, but also calm acceptance; we find ourselves looking forward to a life yet to come and backwards over a life already lived.

From simplest plainchant monody to elaborate polychoral polyphony, composers have responded to these touchstone texts in their different ways. Tonight’s programme explores the scope and diversity of these responses in works from the renaissance and 20th century.

Help us welcome Tallis Scholars back to Southern California, this year in the beautiful Christ Cathedral Arboretum. Over four decades of performance and a catalogue of award-winning recordings for Gimell, Peter Phillips and The Tallis Scholars have done more than any other group to establish sacred vocal music of the Renaissance as one of the great repertoires of Western classical music.

They have sought to bring Renaissance works to a wider audience in churches, cathedrals and venues on every continent on the planet except Antarctica! These include the Royal Albert Hall, the Sistine Chapel, the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall New York, the Philharmonic Hall Berlin, Saint Mark's Venice, Seoul Arts Centre Korea, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall, Beijing Concert Hall, Megaron Athens and the Opera House Sydney.

The Tallis Scholars continue to develop their exclusive sound, praised by reviewers for its supple clarity and tone, and to bring fresh interpretations to music by contemporary as well as past composers, such as Pärt, Tavener, Whitacre, Muhly and Jackson.

CHRISTMAS AT THE CATHEDRAL

FridayDec 16, 20167:30 PM

The Diocesan Choir of the Diocese of Orange, The Diocesan Children's Choir, The Christ Cathedral Spanish Choir and the Christ Cathedral Choir will help usher in the blessed season of Christmas with splendid carols, both new and old. Tenor César Sánchez will be our guest artist for the evening. They will be accompanied by the arboretum's 82 rank Aeolian Skinner Organ and the Cathedral Orchestra. It will be a spectacular event which is sure be become an annual tradition of your holiday celebrations. Get your tickets early.

SPRING CHORAL SPECTACULAR

FridayAPRIL 28, 20177:30 PM

The Diocesan Choir of the Diocese of Orange, The Diocesan Children's Choir, The Christ Cathedral Spanish Choir and the Christ Cathedral Choir will celebrate the Easter Season with a rare performance of Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramírez. They will be accompanied by the arboretum's 82- rank Aeolian Skinner Organ and the Cathedral Orchestra. Tenor César Sánchez will be our guest artist for the evening. Other great choral music of the season will be performed by all choirs. It is simply a program you won't want to miss!!

Program:

MUSIC OF THE PSALMS

HYMN Old HundredthPsalm 100 R. Vaughan Williams

Sing we Merrily Psalm 81 Sidney Campbell

Sicut cervus Psalm 42 Giovanni Palestrina

O Be Joyful Psalm 100 John Rutter

O Clap Your hands Psalm 47 R. Vaughan Williams

MUSIC OF THE SPIRIT

HYMN Come Holy Ghost

The Spirit of the Lord Edward Elgar

The Spirit of the Lord Julian Revie

O Holy Spirit Christopher Tye

Let Thy Holy Presence P. Tschesnokoff

MUSIC OF THE MASS

Misa Criolla Ariel Ramirez

MUSIC OF THE BLESSED MOTHER

HYMN Hail Holy Queen arr. Charles Thatcher

Ave Maria Franz Biebl

Ave Maria Gabriel Fauré

Magnificat Leo Nestor

De Angelis Vocal Ensemble

DE ANGELISVOCAL ENSEMBLE

FridayMarch 10, 20178:00 PM

The de Angelis Vocal Ensemble, Matthew Gray, Conductor, was created in 2005 to enrich and broaden the southern California arts community. While this large geographic area offers several sizeable choral ensembles, very few professional chamber ensembles are present.

In addition to our small size and primary performance of a cappella [unaccompanied] repertoire, our projects attempt to program music that is unique to the smaller, a cappella ensemble, and provides the community with a more eclectic and cutting edge presentation of choral music. Our organization is known for our innovative arts programming which engages the diverse cultural expression of the Southern California community.

De Angelis has an unwavering commitment to today’s composers. De Angelis is an advocate for the choral arts in the community, corporate, and educational arenas, and is committed to increased public awareness, participation and investment in the choral arts in Orange County. The Christ Cathedral program will include the great choral music of the Lenten Season.

If you have not had the opportunity to experience one of their programs, you are missing out on a rare Orange County cultural experience. Come experience one of Orange County’s best kept secrets!

BECOME A SPONSOR FOR CHRIST CATHEDRAL CONCERTS

Join us as we journey to build a Center of Music and Culture at Christ Cathedral for our community and for the world! In becoming a sponsor, at any level, you assist in making it possible to bring international and prize winning artists to our community. Christ Cathedral is a prominent architectural landmark of Orange County, attracting visitors world-wide. Christ Cathedral Concerts seeks to continue the long tradition of spectacular music in this great space. Please help us make this a reality with your generous donation. COMPOSERS CIRCLE $5000+: 4 Season Subscriptions to all concerts, Seating in the Special Patron Seating section, Exclusive Patron Reception, Reserved parking, Name listed in the Program. CONDUCTORS CIRCLE $2500+: 2Season Subscriptions to all concerts, Seating in the Special Patron section, Exclusive Patron Reception, Reserved parking, Name listed in the Program. ARTISTS CIRCLE $1500+: 2 Season Subscriptions to all concerts, Seating in the Special Front section, Exclusive Patron Reception, Reserved parking, Name listed in the Program. BENEFACTOR $1000+: Two tickets to all concerts, Seating in the Special Front Seating section, Exclusive Patron Reception, Name listed in the Program. DONOR $500+: Two tickets to 3 concerts of your choice, Seating in the Special Front Seating section, Exclusive Patron Reception, Name listed in the Program. CONTRIBUTOR $250+: One ticket to 3 Concerts of your choice, Seating in the Special Front Seating section, Name listed in the Program. ASSOCIATE $50+: Name listed in the Program.